“Where is Henry now? Maybe I should go talk to him.”
“He’s outside rehanging the sign.” Mom fiddled with the paperwork lying on the counter. “I don’t think it would do a bit of good for you to talk to him, Amy. If Henry is acting out and releasing his emotions by doing destructive things, I doubt anything you or I can say will get through to him.”
Amy leaned in closer to her mother. “What are we going to do? There has to be someone who can get through to my little brother.”
“I ain’t little, and I wish you two would quit talkin’ about me behind my back.”
Amy whirled around at the sound of her brother’s angry voice. She’d been so engrossed in the conversation that she hadn’t heard him come in.
“If you’d quit doing bizarre things, we wouldn’t need to talk about you.” Amy’s fingers clenched as she tapped them along the counter. “How do you think Dad would feel if he knew you’d done things to destroy our property?”
He sauntered up to her and stood so close she could smell his minty breath. “I haven’t destroyed anything. In fact, I came in here to tell Mom I fixed the sign—it’s back in place.” He glanced at their mother then back at Amy. “And if I’d bashed in the mailbox, do ya think I woulda gone to town for a new one and then helped put it in?”
“You did it because I asked you to,” Mom interjected. “And it’s certainly no proof that you’re not the person responsible for the pranks.”
“Mom, they were more than pranks.” Amy flexed her fingers to keep from grabbing hold of her brother and giving him a good shake. “What was done to the mailbox and our sign out front was vandalism.”
Henry held firm in his stance. “Jah, well you can believe what you want, but I’m not the person who did those things.” He whirled around and stomped out the door.
Mom lowered her head, making little circles with her fingers across her forehead. “I hope and pray that if Henry is the guilty person, he’ll realize he’s done wrong and won’t do anything like that again.”
“I hope not either, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.” She pursed her lips. “I hope neither Dad nor Abe can look down from heaven and see the way Henry’s been acting. If they could, they’d be very disappointed.”
Mom gave no reply as she continued to rub her forehead.
“We’d better pull ourselves together,” Amy announced. “I heard a horse and carriage coming up the driveway, so we need to put smiles on our faces and welcome our first customers of the day.”
By late afternoon, Belinda had lost track of how many customers had come to the greenhouse in response to the ad about this week’s sale that they’d run in their local paper. In the past, Vernon had been in charge of all the advertising for their business.
Recently, Belinda had gone through some old ads and gotten ideas from her husband’s way of doing things. She’d also asked Henry to go into town and hang some flyers on bulletin boards. Belinda wanted to make the public aware of their business with minimal effort and little expense. Having a sale today made her think of how it was when Vernon had still been with them and the anticipation they’d felt getting everything ready for the event. Like she had in the past, Belinda hoped everything would go according to plan.
Pauline, their driver, entered the greenhouse and came over to the counter where Belinda stood. “Amy invited me to come by and have a look around.”
“I’m glad she did.” Belinda glanced at a large area where several customers mingled. “I believe my daughter is here somewhere.”
As if on cue, Amy came up and greeted Pauline. “I’m glad you could come by for the sale. Let me show you around.” The two of them headed off and disappeared among the other shoppers.
Belinda smiled. It was good to see more new customers venture into the greenhouse. Having a sale this week had been an excellent idea.
The best part of the day was when an English couple came in a few minutes later and bought over five hundred dollars’ worth of plants and shrubs. Soon after they left, an elderly man showed up who was obviously hard of hearing. Amy pointed him out, saying he’d been here before, when Belinda was gone. The gray-haired man asked a lot of questions, and Belinda had to repeat herself several times. Remembering the phone call she’d had not long ago from a man who struggled to hear what she said, Belinda figured he might be the same person she’d spoken to on the phone. The gentleman ended up buying some pots of petunias and a bag of grass seed. He seemed nice enough. It was a shame he couldn’t hear well. Belinda wondered why he didn’t wear any hearing aids. Perhaps he was either embarrassed or too stubborn to wear them. Or else he wouldn’t acknowledge that he was hard of hearing.
I wonder if Henry will be stubborn when he gets old. I love my son, but he certainly can be hardheaded.
Belinda smiled when another customer stepped up to the counter pulling a wagonload of plants and several gardening supplies. She couldn’t let her negative thinking get the best of her, or she might appear unfriendly.
“Mom, you look like you could use a break.” Amy slipped in behind the counter. “Why don’t you let me take over here so you can go up to the house and rest for a bit? Henry’s supposed to come into the greenhouse in a few minutes, and I’m sure the two of us can manage on our own for a while.”
Belinda pushed some unruly hairs back under her head covering. “I could use a break—but only a short one. If things get busy again, you’ll need my help out here.”
“No problem. If too many customers show up, I’ll send Henry up to the house to get you.”
“Okay, you talked me into it.” Belinda slid off the stool. “Is there anything I can get you when I come back out?”
“Maybe a glass of meadow-mint tea.”
“Consider it done.”
Virginia paced the length of her kitchen, gritting her teeth and slamming cupboard doors. She marched into the living room and looked out the window at the cars pulling onto the driveway across the road. She continued to watch as a horse and buggy came down the road and pulled onto the Kings’ driveway.
“Just look at the mess that horse left on the pavement.” She shook her head. “I wonder who is gonna clean up that nasty debris.”
This morning, Virginia had been too tired to get much done, and by the time she’d felt like doing anything, the steady roar of vehicles, mingled with the irritation of the clippity-clop of horses’ hooves on the road out front nearly drove her batty.
“And it’s all the fault of that stupid greenhouse across the way.” She paused and kicked one of the lower cupboard drawers but winced and had to sit down when a searing pain shot through her bad leg. I’ve told Earl those Amish are strange, and now we’re stuck dealing with their conservative lifestyle across the street.
Virginia shifted, trying to find a comfortable position, and reached down to rub her knee. The pain from that fall I took down the stairs twelve years ago is always here to remind me of how stupid I used to be. Guess I got what I deserved.
Another influx of customers arrived, and Amy was tempted to send for Mom. But before she could make the effort to call upon Henry, the man who used to court her mother showed up.
“Is Belinda around?” His eyes seemed to glow as he spoke her mother’s name.
“She’s up at the house, taking a break.”
“Oh, okay. Guess I’ll go knock on the door.”
Amy was prepared to ask him not to bother Mom, when another customer stepped up to the counter, asking a question about the tomato plants that were being sold for 25 percent off. Amy didn’t want to lose a sale, so she told Monroe she’d be right back and went off with the woman who’d asked the question to show her which plants were on special.
I hope Sylvia answers the door and tells Monroe that Mom is resting and can’t be disturbed. There’s something about Mr. Esh that doesn’t set well with me. Don’t know why, but I get the feeling he’s not as nice as he appears to be. Maybe there’s a reason Mom broke things off with him when they were courting.
/> It wasn’t fair to judge the man when she didn’t really know him, but Amy had always been able to read people well, and she’d rarely been wrong. Of course, there was a first time for everything, so in all fairness, she needed to give Monroe Esh the benefit of the doubt.
She pushed her nagging doubts aside and led the customer over to the vegetable plants. It wouldn’t do Amy or anyone else one bit of good if she couldn’t keep her focus on work.
When Belinda glanced out the kitchen window and spotted Monroe heading for the house, she quickly set her empty glass in the sink and hurried out the front door to meet him. I wonder what he wants. Is he here to buy something this time, or is it a friendly visit?
“When I heard you weren’t in the greenhouse and had come over here, I decided to head on over and see how you are doing.” Monroe offered Belinda a most charming smile. Back when they were young people, he would often smile at her that way.
“I’m doing as well as can be expected,” she replied. “It’s nice of you to ask.”
He leaned on the porch railing but pointed to the front door, which hung slightly open. “Mind if I come in?”
“Actually, my grandchildren and oldest daughter are sleeping right now, so our voices might disturb them.”
“Oh, okay.” Monroe inched a bit closer to Belinda then gestured to the wicker chairs on the porch. “Is it all right if I sit down out here?”
“Help yourself.” Belinda stepped back, out of his way.
“Aren’t you going to take a seat? It’ll be easier for us to talk that way.”
Oh, bother. Belinda felt trapped. It would be rude to say no, but at the same time, she’d come to the house to spend some quiet time alone and wasn’t in the mood for company right now. Reluctantly, she forced a smile and seated herself in the chair beside him.
Monroe took off his hat, and holding it by the brim, he fanned his face. “Sure turned out hot today, jah?”
Glancing toward the greenhouse, she gave a nod. Now that Belinda was outside, her focus returned to how things were going out there.
“Say, I was wondering if there’s anything you’d like me to do around here—in the house, barn, or even the greenhouse.”
“It’s kind of you to offer, but we’re managing okay with things.”
“Your furrowed brows make me wonder if you’re feeling stressed about something. Is everything okay with you, Belinda?”
“I’m fine.” No way would Belinda make mention of the things she suspected her son of doing. Henry was her business not Monroe’s, and if she brought him into it, things would get worse where Henry was concerned. If her son wouldn’t listen to anything family members and close friends had to say, he sure wouldn’t appreciate a stranger’s two cents’ worth.
From where she sat, Belinda saw people coming and going from the greenhouse. It wasn’t easy to listen to Monroe talk about the custom-built furniture shop he’d purchased after moving back to Strasburg and how he had several employees and didn’t need to be in the shop all the time.
“Just have to be there enough to make sure things are going as they should,” he said with a nod.
Truth was, Belinda had other, more important things on her mind. I hope Amy is managing okay. She adjusted the pillow behind her back. I wish Monroe would quit staring at me. It makes me feel uncomfortable.
They talked for a few minutes more about the struggle to keep cool in the warm weather, and then Belinda stood. “I’m sorry to have to cut this visit short, but I need to get back to the greenhouse. I only came over here for a short break, and from the looks of all the buggies and cars parked outside the building, I’m quite sure my help is needed there right now.”
Monroe’s shoulders drooped a bit as his lips pressed together. “Are you sure there isn’t something I can do out there to help you?”
She shook her head. “Unless you’ve ever run a greenhouse, I doubt you would know what to do.”
“I doubt it can be that hard.”
“People ask a lot of questions about gardening.”
He rubbed his beardless chin. “Guess I’d be stuck either asking you or makin’ something up.”
She offered him another forced smile. “Have a good rest of your day, and danki for dropping by.”
“You’re welcome.” Monroe plopped his hat back on his head and headed off toward the hitching rail.
Belinda hurried to the greenhouse, and without a glance in his direction, she stepped inside.
“You didn’t take a very long break, Mom.” Amy tilted her head to one side. “Monroe Esh was here. Did he come up to the house to talk to you?”
“Jah. We sat out on the porch for a few minutes and talked. Then I said I needed to get back here to help out.”
“I see.”
“Oh, and I’m sorry, but I forgot to bring you some meadow-mint tea.”
“No problem, Mom. I still have plenty of wasser.” Amy lifted her water bottle. “I’m just glad you cut your visit with Monroe short and came back here to help.”
Is that a look of relief I see on my daughter’s face? Belinda studied Amy for a few minutes. I have a hunch she doesn’t care much for Monroe. Well, that’s fine with me, because he’s just an old acquaintance and will never be anything more than that.
The next day seemed to drag on and on. It wasn’t that they weren’t busy; there had been plenty of people coming to the greenhouse. Amy was so tired, and she figured her mother was as well. She’d be glad when their workday ended and they could be back in the house where there wouldn’t be a group of people posing questions and asking for assistance.
“I’m going to the house to take my lunch break.” Mom tapped Amy’s shoulder. “Is that okay with you?”
“Sure, Mom. Enjoy your hot meal.” Drumming her fingers on the counter, Amy noticed that the bags of hummingbird food had gone down. She wasn’t surprised to see the powdered nectar selling so well. She had observed the feeders at their house going empty with the steady flow of hungry hummers and figured many of their customers were also feeding the tiny birds.
Amy rose from the stool and strode toward the storage room. The bags that were ready to be put out sat off to one side. She grabbed all she could and toted them to the display area then put each bag in its place and straightened the rows. Afterward, Amy went to the seed display, where she discovered that certain packets were either low or out of stock.
She went back to the storage room to see if she had replacements to fill the rack that had been depleted. Amy took a notepad and pencil to jot down each item. She would need to get more green bean, radish, and carrot seeds.
“Amy, I’m gonna go eat since we’re not busy,” Henry hollered.
“Just give me a second with this list, and allow me enough time to get the packets of seeds before you leave.”
Frowning, he stepped over to the rack. “What have you written down so far?”
She showed him the list. “I’m about done.”
“I’m hungerich, Sister. I’ll get the items you have listed, but only because I wanna eat.” He snatched the piece of paper out of her grasp.
Amy’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t be so impatient.”
Henry took off, and it wasn’t long before he emerged with a brown bag full of seed packets. “Here ya go. Now, I’m outta here.”
Watching him leave, Amy picked up the sack. She pulled out a few pieces at a time and began her work. When the rack was half done, she realized that the bag was empty. Why am I not surprised that my brother didn’t get all that I needed?
Amy grabbed the paper sack and went to the back room to get the rest of the needed inventory. She peeked out twice to make sure there were no customers waiting at the checkout. Seeing no one, she went to the seed rack and finished her work.
A short time later, Mom returned with a box full of canned pickles. “I got to thinking about these bickels we canned from the garden last year.” She gestured toward the storage room. “There’s an empty wooden shelf in there that coul
d be brought out and used to display these. We can also sell some extra jars of honey.”
“That’s a good idea. With all the tourists we get coming in, they don’t often buy live plants. But they do seem to be interested in our jellies, jams, and honey, so why not try to sell some bickels too?”
Mom rested a hand on her hip. “The strawberries in the garden are coming along well, and it’ll soon be time to make strawberry jam, and we can sell some of that as well. Sylvia agreed to make it, so that’s one less thing for us to worry about.”
“I like the idea.” Amy nodded. “I’m sure the tourists will too.”
“We have to come up with some ways that will set us apart from the new greenhouse.” Mom slid the box aside. “Right now, however, I need to check on your brother and ask him to move some plants around for me.”
“Okay, I’ll stay close by.” Amy yawned. Maybe I’m just overly tired from rushing about for the last few days, helping people choose items that are on sale and answering far too many questions.
She heard the door open and turned to see the homeless lady enter the greenhouse. If she lives in that old shack quite a ways down the road, guess she’s not exactly homeless, Amy reasoned. It’s certainly not much of a home though. I bet she doesn’t have hot and cold running water or indoor plumbing like we are fortunate to have.
Amy glanced at the poor woman, wishing there was more they could do to help other than offering her free baked goods and garden produce from time to time. She remembered the day Lydia bought a plant for the elderly woman. If Maude had any money, it wasn’t much, for she never bought anything from the greenhouse, just came in and looked around. Maude’s clothing was worn and faded, and her hair never appeared to be combed. Amy wondered how the woman came to be in this predicament. Could something tragic have occurred that changed things for Maude?
Amy tried not to stare as the elderly woman ambled down one aisle and then another, looking at the various plants and flowers. Every so often, Maude stopped and glanced Amy’s way then just as quickly averted her gaze.
The Crow’s Call: Amish Greenhouse Mystery Book 1 Page 13